Neon tube control apparatus



March 23, 1954 R. E. DAVIES NEON TUBE CONTROL APPARATUS Filed May 10, 1951 r 1 m E m E PM q 3 3 u. m 6, B mwm A a. a Q a Z a 6 1 6 r 0 fn A A 1 m EM. a M

Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEON TUBE CONTROL APPARATUS Richard E. Davies, Williams, Ariz. Application May 10. 1951, Serial No. 225,596

This invention pertains to neon tube control apparatus, and more particularly the invention is directed to apparatus for progressively illuminating and extinguishing a neon tube with novel control apparatus which particularly protects the power transformer for the neon tube.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus for progressively illuminating different lengths of a neon tube and then extinguishing said tube either progressively or instantaneously while at the same time protecting the operation and efliciency of the power transformer for the neon tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved control apparatus for successively illuminating different portions of a neon tube to give the efiect of a rise and fall of the light in the tube from zero to maximum and return.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a control apparatus for a neon tube in which a tube is progressively lighted in step by step fashion to full illumination and extinguished while at the same time maintaining a substantially constant load on the high potential power transformer for the neon tube.

'Still another object of this invention is to provide a control apparatus for successively differentially controlling a pair of neon tubes from a full lit position of one tube and an out position of the other tube to difierent stages of illumination, while at the same time maintaining a substantially constant load on the high potential transformer for the neon tubes.

Further features and advantages of this invention will appear from a detailed description of the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one form of neon tube control apparatus for progressively operating the illumination of a neon tube.

Referring to the embodiment of Fig. 1 there is shown a pair of substantially identical neon tubes I and II, the tube 10 having end terminals 12 and I3 and intermediate terminals l4, I5, and I6 while the tube 1 I has the end terminals I! and I8 and the intermediate terminals I9, 20, and 2!.- The object of this arrangement is to successively illuminate different sections of the neon tube I0 so that from a non-lighted condition the tube will be illuminated from 12 to M and then l2 to [5 and then l2 to IE and finally its full length from l2 to I3 terminals. The object then is to repeat this operation in the opposite direction with the tube burning completely from l2 to ['3 then from I6 to l2 then l5 to l2 and then finally I 4 to I 2 after which the tube is extinguished. To do this operation directly with the single tube In from a power transformer or high potential transformer preferably of a leakageresistance type such as indicated generally at 2 Claims. (Cl. 340-343) 22 would result in increasing the effect on the secondary winding 23 of the transformer 22 and then reducing it again to zero, such an operation, as is well known in the art, resulting in overheating, damage and inefiicient operation of the transformer 22.

Applicant therefore provides a novel arrangement of the second tube ll of substantially identical character and. number of terminals to that of the tube l0 and to control the application of power from the transformer 22 to both of the tubes simultaneously in a differentially controlled manner by novel control mechanism now to be described.

The transformer 22 is energized from a suitable power supply line such as the leads Li and L2 there being provided in one of the lines such as the line Ll a main cutoff switch 24. Lines LI and L2 are connected to the primary winding of the transformer '22 so that when the switch 24 is closed the secondary winding 23 will be constantly energized. One terminal of the secondary winding 23 is connected through a lead 26 to the one end terminal 12 of the neon tube In while the other terminal of the secondary winding 23 is connected through a lead 21 to the end terminal I! of the neon tube H. The outer terminals I3 and I8 of the neon tubes It and II respectively are connected together by a common lead 28.

Intermediate the tubes Ill and H is mechanically operated switching gear comprising a central rock shaft 29 which is electrically connected through a flexible wire 30 to the lead 28 so that current from the line 28 may be at all times applied to the rock shaft 29 during its rocking motion. Fixed to rotate with the rock shaft 29 are the contact arm actuating levers 3|, 32, 33; and 34 for the neon tube It and the contact arm actuating levers 35, 36, 31, and 38 for theneon tube ll. Journaled for free rotation on the rock shaft 29 and electrically connected thereto are the contact arms 39, 4i), 4:, and 42 associated with the respective actuating lever members 3! through 34 inclusive and the contact arms 43, 44, 45, and 46 similarly journaled on the rock shaft 29 and associated with the respective actuating levers 33 through 38 inclusive. Resilient tension spring means 4'! are interconnected between the actuating levers 3| through 38 inclusive and the contact lever arms 39 through 46 inclusive so that the contact arms are normally held in contact with the respective actuating lever arms such as best shown by the lever arm and contact arm arrangement 35-43 in Fig. 1. On the outer ends of the contact arms are provided suitable contacts A, B, C, and D for the neon tube I 0 and E, F, G, and H for the neon tube l l which engage mating contacts 48, 49, 55, and 5: respectively connected to the terminals l2, l4,- I5, and

it of the tube In, and the mating contacts 52, 53, 54, and 55 respectively connected to the terminals l1, I9, 20, and 2| of the neon tube ll. Thus as rock shaft 29 is rotated to one direction or the other the respective contacts A through H are engaged with contacts connected to the various terminals of the neon tubes in and H as described.

In order to give a progressive contacting and closing of the terminals A through H the various actuating arms such as 3| through 34 are clamped to the shaft 29 in different rotary indexed positions on the shaft as are the members for the tube l I. As shown in Fig. 1 the arms 38, 31, 36, and 35 are progressively arranged at greater distances away from the respective contact terminals 55, 54, 53 and 52 so that as the rock shaft 29 is rotated, counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 1, the contact H will first engage then G, F, and finally E with their respective contacts. At the same time the interconnecting spring mechanism 41 between the actuating lever arms and the contact arms allows the terminals on the other side to be all fully engaged while still allowing overtravel of the rock shaft 29 to further manipulate the other set of contacts.

In order to rock the shaft 29 back and forth for successively engaging and disengaging the contacts just described there is provided a main driving motor 56 which is suitably connected to the lines LI and L2 so as to be under the control of the disconnect switch 24 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The motor 58 has an output shaft 51 upon which is connected a suitable crankshaft 58 having a crank pin 59 to which is connected a connecting rod 60 which in turn is connected through a pivot pin iii to an actuating lever arm 62 fixed on a shaft 63 connected through a suitable insulator 64 to the rock shaft 29 so that operation of the motor 56 will oscillate the shaft 29 back and forth in rocking motion from the position 62a to the position 52b, as best seen in Fig. 1.

The operation of this arrangement is as follows: With the rock shaft 29 swung to one side fully, such as at 62a, all of the contacts A, B, C, and D are closed while all of the contacts E, F, G, and H are open so that the electric current then flows from the line 26 from the transformer 22 to the terminal l2 and then to the contact 48 and contact A through the rock shaft 29 and the flexible wire 38 to the lead 28 which in turn connects power to the outer terminal 18 of theneon tube H, the other end of the tube ll being connected through its terminal I! and the lead 21 back to the transformer 22. all of the contacts A, B, C and D closed the neon tube It! is wholly shorted out and inoperative. As the rocking motion proceeds from position 620. toward the position 6212 contact H closes while contact A opens while the remaining contacts B, C and D are closed and E, F and G are open. In this situation current then flows from the transformer through line 26 to terminal l2 of the neon tube It! to the terminal l4 and then to the contact 49 and contact B which is closed to connect to the rock shaft 29 and then out through contact H and contact 55 to terminal 21 of the neon tube II where the current completes itself to the end of the tube at the terminal I! and then back through the lead 21 to the transformer 22. It is to be noted that under this contact arrangement that there is still the substantially same length or resistance of total neon tubes applied to the secondary winding of the transformer 22;

At this time with namely, that portion of the tube 10 from terminals l2 to 14 which is substantially the same as that portion of the tube H extinguished from l8 to 2 I.

The above operation continues for the; respective contacts B and G closing and for C opening and F closing and for finally D opening and E closing, when the latter of which takes place the neon tube ll then being fully shorted and discharged and inoperative while the full length of the tube i0 is then in operation. It will thus be noted that at all times substantially the same amount of resistance or load from neon tube operation is applied to secondary winding 23 of the transformer 22. Further it will be noted that any one of the tubes such as the tube It will appear to constantly rise in its light in the tube to the top and then drop back again to the. bottom simulating the effect of a rising and falling thermometer or the like so as to create great selling and advertising appeal while at the same time providing an operating mechanism maintaining a constant load on the power supply transformer 22. Obviously both tubes l0 and H may be placed in operation simultaneously on each side of a suitable sign box which may readily house the mechanical switching gear described so that viewed from any one side or the other this simulative effect of the rise and fall of the 'neon tube light is obtained. Further it is highly practical to color one of the tubes dark so that no effect is produced by it so that the single tube gives the rise and fall effect standing out by itself.

Having thus fully set forth and described this invention what is claimed is:

1. In a neon tube control apparatus, a power transformer, a secondary winding in said transformer, a pair of neon tubes connected in series with said secondary winding, a control switch having a rock shaft connected in said series circuit at a point between said neon tubes, a series of longitudinally spaced terminals on each of said neon tubes, contact arms on said rock shaft arranged to engage said terminals in a sequential manner, drive means for actuating said rock shaft, and a source of power for energizing said transformer and said drive means.

2. In a neon tube control apparatus, a power transformer, a secondary winding in said trans! former, a pair of neon tubes, means for connect,- ing one lead of said secondary winding to one end of one of said neon tubes, means for ,connecting the other lead of said secondary winding 3 to one end of said other neon tube, a common lead interconnecting the other ends of said both of said neon tubes, a control switch having a rock shaft connected to said common lead, a series on longitudinally spaced terminals on each of said neon tubes, a series of contact arms carried on said rock shaft adapted to selectively engage said terminals on said neon tubes, and a source of power for actuating said rock shaft and energizing said transformer.

RICHARD E. DAVIES.

References Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,150,902 Van Bain Mar. 2'1, 19.39 2,487,? 15 Ludvigsen Nov.. 8, 19,49 2,487,734 Seaman Nov. 8,. 1949 2,538,803 Seaman Jan. 23., .1951 

